Such fabric parts are used, more particularly, to deflect in a desired direction the flow of hot compressed gas entering the interior of the gas bag following activation of an inflator. This prevents the hot compressed gas from directly impinging the wall of the gas bag and damaging it. In addition, steering the deflection of the flow of compressed gas enables the deployment response of the gas bag to be greatly influenced, e.g. that the gas bag first deploys laterally before then deploying in the direction of the vehicle occupant towards the end of deployment, depending on the inflow direction of the compressed gas into the gas bag.